Lincoln Park in Los Angeles, California was originally created by the City of Los Angeles in 1881, from land donated by John Strother Griffin. It was one of Los Angeles' first parks. It was originally called East Los Angeles Park, then Eastlake Park in 1901. On May 19, 1917, the park was renamed Lincoln Park after Lincoln High School. The park contains a large lake (Lincoln Park Lake, originally East Lake), a recreation center, a senior center, a playground, picnic tables, and ball fields. The park is located at the intersection of Valley Boulevard and Mission Road, and is served by Metro lines 76, 78, 79 and 378.
There was an earlier Lincoln Park in Los Angeles County, "just outside the city limits of Los Angeles, and just inside the limits of South Pasadena.”
Lincoln Park has long been the recreational center of East Los Angeles. From humble beginnings, City Council created the Department of Parks in 1889. At that time the city owned several pieces of land that were believed suitable for park purposes. They turned over these properties to the newly organized Department of Parks. In a generous mood during Christmas of 1896, Colonel Griffith J. Griffith offered to donate five square miles of the Los Feliz Rancho to the City as a park. He said, "it must be made a place of recreation and rest for the masses, a resort for the rank and file, for the plain people..." What followed was the development of several more parks including the original pueblo lands of the old plaza, Elysian Park, Pershing Square, and later Lincoln Park, MacArthur Park, Echo Lake Park, and Hollenbeck Park. While these parks were available in the early years of the 20th century, there were no planned and supervised recreation activities in the parks. Children were forced to find their play on public streets and vacant lots that were hardly suited for organized games. These conditions triggered a civic movement to officially establish a Playground Commission and Department. Their plan was "for the prevention and control of juvenile delinquency and to provide wholesome and constructive play and recreation for youth, in supervised playgrounds, as an alternative to play in the city streets."
Today, the City's Department of Recreation and Parks manages all municipally owned and operated recreation and parks facilities within the City and has been the human face of the City of Los Angeles. Rooted in the goals of our predecessors, we continue to bring people together to celebrate, to compete, to learn new skills, and to relax with family and friends.
The Founder of Lincoln Park is Levi Newton Breed a member of the City Council 1886-1889.
A single plaque on the Breed memorial reads;
"SO LONG AS THERE SHALL BE A CITY OF LOS ANGELES
ITS PEOPLE WILL HERE ENJOY PRICELESS BENEFITS OF LIGHT AND AIR AND BEAUTY"
A HERITAGE FROM THIS MAN
In 1863 Dr. J.S. Griffin, the Los Angeles city health officer (and county coroner 1862-1865) during a smallpox outbreak, is offered city land at greatly reduced prices instead of money for his services. He was to be paid $3,000 and since the city was unable to pay him he was offered 2,000 acres of land for fifty cents an acre. This land would later become known as East Los Angeles and even later as Lincoln Heights.
Part of this land was purchased by the city in 1874 and was subsequently transferred to the Southern Pacific Railroad Company in return for establishment of railroad shops in East Los Angeles. When the Southern Pacific failed to build the promised shops the city purchased this tract of land and dedicated it for park purposes in 1881. The city then laid out a park, initially called East Los Angeles Park and then Eastlake Park in 1901, which quickly became a major amusement center for the people of Los Angeles. One of its main attractions was the area's first zoological display. In 1917, the City Council responded to a petition from nearby residents and renamed it Lincoln Park after a local high school and as a driving force for this community.
Bordering the north edge of the Park, Selig Place was named after William Selig, who in 1911 opened a zoo and constructed a movie studio. A carousel opened in 1914, attracting up to 150,000 riders a year at a nickel a ride. However, the carousel was gutted by fire several months after it was designated Historic Cultural Monument No. 153 by the City of Los Angeles.
The real Lincoln Park is located in the neighborhood and has proven to be a source of healthy recreation for generations. Decades ago, the park was officially named: La Plaza de La Raza. It was dedicated to cultivating cultural seeds in the hearts and minds of the people, and engrained Mexican tradition in the community. From the Danza Azteca to Musico Folklorico the park provided the earth to stay rooted. And every athletic sport is exercised in this place: swimming, tennis, futbol, baseball, volleyball, skateboarding, boxing, weights, gymnastic rings. The gym is even home to a junior league championship-winning basketball team. Out on the grass, you can pitch horse-shoes or play cards with the older men. Maybe engage in an intellectual game of chess (the Game of Kings) on the tables. There is something for everyone. An option for everybody. You know what I mean? The City stocks the lake with fish every year for the derby. Tagged fish win prizes! As an alternative to crime, few outlets are as effective as music and art. This is especially true for the youth. Fortunately, we have a center where these expressions could be practiced and refined. A dedicated group of positive-thinkers provide the venue for performances. Not only for locals, but for underground artists from all over the place. We are proud that the "Kasil Gallery" is located here, and are grateful to the people that make it happen.